Apparatus for preparing padded trim panels



Jan. 17, 1939. H. HABERSTUMP APPARATUS FOR PREPARING PADDED TRIM PANELS Filed Jan. 10, 1936 BY w; C2,, 2% ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1939 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR- PREPARING PADDED TRIM PANELS Alfred H. Haberstump, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application January 10, 1936, Serial No. 58,602

2 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for performing one step in a process of manufacturing padded inner trim panelsv More particularly it relates to a machine pri- 5 marily designed for removing a predetermined amount of padding material from the surface of a partially prepared padded backing sheet of an inner trim panel.

As is conventional in present day automobile body constructions, various sections of the interior of the bodies are finished by the application thereto of unitary padded inner trim panels cov ered with suitable fabric trim. These panels generally comprise a backing sheet of cardboard or other suitable relatively stiff fibrous material, to which is, secured, by adhesion, a substantially uniform layer of non-woven fibrous material, such for example as loosely distributed jute fibers, in order to provide a padded surface for the trim panel as a whole. After adhesive securement of this lay-er of padding to the backing sheet, the padded backing sheet is covered with a suitable layer of finish fabric trim materialwhich is sewed or adhesively secured thereto. In order to obtain a better understanding of the general nature and objects of the present invention, reference may be had to applicants assignees prior co-pending application, Serial No. 49,140, which discloses apparatus and a method of applying loose nonwoven fibrous materials to backing sheets in order to provide a padded inner trim panel construction.

As will be appreciated by reference to these prior co-pending applications, according to present practice, the fibrous material adhesively secured to the backing sheets covers substantially the entire surface thereof and means are neces sarily provided for trimming or brushing the marginal edges of the sheets in order to provide 40 an attractive uniform finish of the padding material with respect to the backing sheet to which it is adhesively secured.

In certain inner trim panels, particularly those designed to form the interior finish for automobile doors, it has been found unsatisfactory to provide a padded construction throughout the entire surface area of the trim panel. In many instances, it has been found particularly desirable to provide a trim panel construction in which the padded portion of the trim panel covers only a predetermined portion of the panel structure as a whole and in which the remainder of this panel structure is finished in some other Way. It is with this latter type of construction that the present invention is primarily concerned.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide means for automatically and cleanly removing a predetermined amount of padding material from the surface of a backing sheet forming an inner trim panel. 5

Yet another object of the present invention consists in the provision of a machine comprising a rotary brush and a work table reciprocably mounted with respect to said brush. Means are provided on the work table for accurately posi- 10 tioning a padded trim panel to be treated and means are further provided for accurately and adjustably controlling the reciprocable movement of said work table with respect to the brush. Thus, it is possible by placing a padded backing 15 sheet upon the work table to remove padding material from a predetermined zone of the surface thereof and provide a trim panel backing sheet which is free from padding throughout a definite predetermined area and which is uniformly padded throughout the remainder thereof.

Still further, the present invention contemplates the provision of a construction in which means are associated with the brush for engaging the padding material during the time the brushing operation takes place in order that an accu-- rate and uniform finish to the marginal edge of the padded surface may be obtained.

Many other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparout from the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, parts being broken away to illustrate more clearly the operation thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View with parts in section, illustrating in detail the manner in which the rotary brush element engages the padded backing sheet and the manner in which the padding is maintained in predetermined position during the brushing operation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view in section, taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1, illustrating the mounting of the reciprocable work table and the manner in which the reoiprocable movement thereof is adiustably predetermined;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a padded backing sheet which has been brushed by the machine of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view in section of a completely finished inner trim panel utilizing the padded backing sheet shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, taken on the line 65 of Fig. 1, illustrating in detail the mounting of the work table on its support.

With more particular reference to the drawing, the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprises a table structure having legs It which may, if desired, be provided with feet H adapted for permanent securement to a floor on which the table is mounted. The legs ll] jointly serve to support a rectangular frame work 12, which, while it may be formed of any suitable construction, is illustrated in the drawing as being formed of inwardly presenting metallic channel members.

Mounted on the channel members l2 at the lateral sides of the table construction is a pair of upwardly presenting channel trackways it, which preferably extend throughout substantially the width of the table and provide means for mounting the reciprocable work table hereinafter described.

The work table I5 is preferably formed of wood or any other suitable similar material and is constructed to have an area slightly larger than the area defined by the rectangular framework 92. Secured to the under side of the work table 55 and adjacent the lateral edges thereof is a pair of angle members 56 which serve to provide a pivotal mounting for a plurality of anti-friction rollers IT adapted to run in the channel trackway l3. Suitable Z-shaped brackets 20 have one leg thereof permanently secured to the under side of the work table 85 and have the opposite end thereof bent to lie underneath the channel member l2 at the side marginal edges of the table structure and these brackets, it will be seen, serve to retain the rollers I? in engagement with the trackway and limit vertical movement of the work table with respect to the trackways in which it is mounted.

Limit stops 22 are preferably secured to the frame element l2 at the end of the trackway E3 in order to limit movement of the work table l5 in one direction and a depending stop lug 24 is secured tothe under side of the work table in substantially the central portion of the front edge thereof. engage a bolt 25 which is adjustably mounted in a suitable block 26 permanently secured to the frame member i 2. It will be seen that the cooperating members 2 3 and 25 serve to limit reciprocatory movement of the work table in one direction and the limit stops 22 serve to limit movement of the work table in the opposite direction. It will further be appreciated that the bolt 25 is adjustably mounted in its block 25 and may be accurately secured in position by means of a suitable lock nut 27 in order that the length .of the reciprocatory movement of the work table with respect to its framework may be accurately and adjustably controlled within the desired limits.

A suitable bracket 30 is secured to the rear edge of the work table l5 substantially in the central portion thereof and provides means for mounting a tension coil spring 32, which has its opposite end secured to a bolt 32 in the forward or front side of the framework i2. It will be appreciated that this spring serves to normally maintain the work table in an extreme position of movement, that is, abutting the stop members 22.

Means are provided upon the upper surface of This limit stop 24 is mounted to the work table for adjustably positioning a trim panel thereon. While it will be appreciated that any suitable means may be provided for this purpose, I have shown by way of illustration two alternative methods of accurately positioning a trim panel on the work table. In some instances, the backing sheets of the inner trim panels to be treated, are provided at various points in their surface with apertures which were preformed therein at the time the backing sheets were prepared. The surface of work table i5 is therefore provided with suitable apertures 35 which are adapted to receive headed screws 36 which serve to enter cooperating apertures in the backing sheets of the trim panels to be treated and serve to accurately position the trim panels with respect to the Work table it. Further, an adjustable abutment 38, adjustably secured by means of suitable wing nuts 39 to the upper surface of the work table 55, is provided, which is adapted to engage one edge of the padded backing sheet under treatment and accurately position the backing sheet with respect to the Work table 55. As is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, this abutment element 38 may be preformed in its central portion to provide a handle for manually effecting reciprocatory movement of the work table with respect to the framework on which it is mounted.

At the rear side of the table, a pair of brackets are mounted upon suitable pivots 4! in the framework i2. These brackets serve to provide a rotary mounting for a transversely extending rotary brush 52 which preferably extends throughout the entire transverse width of the table. Secured to the frame members H2 at the lateral sides of the table is a pair of limit stop members 43 which have adjusting screws 3 therein, which are adapted to engage the brackets iii in order that the position of the axis of rotaticn of the brush i? with respect to the transversely reciprocable work table 55 may be accurately positioned. An electric motor (35, mounted on a suitable support -56, preferably secured to one of the table legs it, serves to drive the rotary brush by means of a belt ii. The belt interconnecting the brush and motor may be covered by means of a suitable protective housing 48, if desired.

An arched housing support member 50 has its terminal end connected to the limit stop members as at the lateral sides of the table and extends transversely across the table. This support mem ber 59 is preferably of angle section and extends across the table forwardly of the brush 32 and serves to provide a mounting for the forward edge of a brush housing member 5i which curves over the brush 12 and rearwardiy to connect with a suitable hopper 52 adapted to collect and accumulate the fibrous material brushed from the inner trim panels. Rigidly secured to the housing support member as is a guide housing member 55 which extends transversely of the table and has pivotally mounted therein a jaw member 56 which is preferably normally urged downwardly by means of a suitable series of springs 51, toward the surface of the work table 55. This jaw member 55 serves to engage the padding on the surface of the padded backing sheets being brushed and firmly grips the fibrous material thereof in order that an accurate uniform marginal edge of the padded material may be brushed away by the brush without unnecessarily disturbing the remainder of the padding material on the backing sheets.

The operation of the apparatus is substantially as follows:

A backing sheet 653 having a substantially uniform layer of non-woven fibrous padding material 6i adhesively secured to the surface thereof is placed upon the work table i5 with one edge thereof against the abutment 38. Ihe table It: is normally held in extreme retracted position by means of the tension spring 3i. The brush 52 is rotated at relatively high speed by means of the electric motor 35 and while the brush is rotating, the work table i5 is manually fed underneath the brush. The vertical position of the brush has been adjusted by means of the screw M in order that the peripheral surface of the brush will en gage the backing sheet so. As the work table it is slid forwardly, it will be apparent that the jaw member 56 will resiliently engage the padded sur face of the backing sheet and that the brush will strip the padding material from the backing sheet throughout a predetermined area depending upon how far the table is slid underneath the brush. As has been explained above, the reciprocatory movement of the table as a whole may be accurately controlled by adjustment of the stop member 25 and it will be appreciated that the table may be slid inwardly underneath the brush until the lug 25 comes in contact with the end of the bolt 25. It will therefore be apparent that a definite predetermined area of the backing sheet may be stripped of padding material and provide a resultant product substantially as illustrated in Fig. 4.

As is conventional in the art, after removal of the padding material from a predetermined area of the sheet, the trim panel may be covered by means of a suitable layer of fabric finish material 63 and the unpadded area of the sheet may be provided with a suitable kick panel 64 of any suitable desired construction and directly secured over the unpadded portion of the backing sheet, providing a particularly simple and attractive interior trim panel construction.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that while I have illustrated herein merely one specific embodiment of the invention, many other and further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a generally rectangular framework, a work supporting table reciprocably mounted upon said framework including means normally resiliently retaining said table in one extreme position of movement, a support member secured to said supporting frame and extending over said work table, means carried by said support member serving to engage the surface of a padded backing sheet carried by said work table, means on said supporting frame serving to mount a rotary shaft Q extending transversely over the surface of said work table, a rotary brush carried by said shaft and means for driving said brush whereby said brush may serve to operate upon a padded backing sheet carried upon said reciprocably mounted work table.

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a supporting frame including side members, a generally arched brace member anchored to said side members and extending across said frame, a work supporting table reciprocably mounted to slide underneath said brace member, a guide member carried by said brace member and resiliently urged downwardly toward the surface of said work table, and a rotary brush mounted for rotation adjacent the surface of said work table and adjacent said guide member whereby said guide member may be utilized to control the surface area treated by said brush.

ALFRED H. HABERS'I'UMP. 

